Revelations
by ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord
Summary: These are my stories for the Pepperony 100. I may not be on LJ, but I still wanted to take a shot at this, so here we go! Please read and review! Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man…oh my gosh, I now realize how much life sucks

Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man…oh my gosh, I now realize how much life sucks! Crap!

A/N: Hello people! I know that some of you might be readers who have me on your author alert list and others might be new to my style of writing. I just wanted to say that I hope you like my Iron Man stories and that these are going to be so out of order from the actual Pepperony 100 list that it's not even sorry. Sorry, but I write where my muse inspires! Hope you enjoy! Please review and flames are welcome!

Revelations

62. Identity

"Come on Pepper, you know you love me," Tony Stark said from his place on the sofa next to his red headed personal assistant, Virginia "Pepper" Potts.

"Which you are you referring to Mr. Stark?" she asked, not looking up from her laptop, not wavering in her typing.

Tony paused and looked at Pepper, eyebrows raised. "What do you mean by that Ms. Potts?"

Pepper stopped typing and closed the laptop, taking a deep breath. "Well, the way I see it, there are three Tony Starks."

"The first Tony Stark is the billionaire playboy who brings home a different woman almost every night. He gets as drunk as he can in the smallest amount of time he can and doesn't care about any of the consequences that will come of it. He's able to sell weapons for his company without breaking a sweat and while he did disappear for the most part when you were captive in Afghanistan, he does still make an occasional appearance if you need a bogus mask to get the media off your back.

"Tony Stark number two is your other mask, Iron Man. He's the unstoppable force that was created to drive fear into the hearts of the wicked and bring justice to those who can't get if for themselves. He's cold and emotionless because emotions will only get in the way. Iron Man can't have anything for himself since he's afraid it will be destroyed. He's reckless and runs into a fight without thinking things through which usually gets him into trouble. But he is what he is meant to be, a hero.

"And then there's the third you. The one that comes out when there aren't any cameras and there aren't any emergencies or villains. That Tony Stark is funny, caring, determined, protective. He can look me in the eye and tell me the truth without a hint of sarcasm. He's willing to ask for help if he needs it and he's more than willing to help when he sees a need. And while he doesn't wear a suit of armor, he's still ready to defend and he's still a hero…" She trailed off, like she wants to add something but instead she opts for a deep breath. Tony can see tears in her eyes, but he's speechless. "So Mr. Stark," she continued after a minute to regain her composure, "if you're going to ask if I love you, you might want to specify which you you are talking about."

With that, Pepper wet the laptop on the coffee table, stood up and headed for her alcove.

Tony sat and thought about what Pepper had just said. He hadn't realized it, but there were three sides to the great Tony Stark…maybe he had a multiple personality disorder…nah!

The way Pepper had sounded, she clearly did not love the billionaire playboy, but he had known that. That side of him thrived on chaos and Pepper was the definition of order. What about Iron Man though? It sounded like she was fond of the idea, but not the way he carried it out. Iron man was reckless and he was cold, but Tony couldn't think of a way to fix that. Metal was cold and he himself was reckless, no matter what side of him it was. It was his nature.

And then there was his third side. Her voice had been full of affection when she spoke of it. She had called him a hero; the average joe side of him was the hero. But the way she said the word, and how she had stopped herself…had Pepper been about to say that he was her hero?

Tony stood and strolled down the hall to her alcove. She was standing at the window, staring out at the ocean. The sunlight illuminated the tear streaks on her face and the silence was broken only by her quiet sobs. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Pepper jumped at the sudden contact.

"Shh, it's just me," Tony said, whispering in her ear. "I'm the funny protective one without the armor," he added with a grin. Pepper laughed and found herself being turned around to face her boss. "Now Pepper Potts," he said as his brown eyes met her blue ones, "do you love me? This is me, forget the other me's for a minute, forget the masks. This is who I am, do you love me?"

Se stared at him for a minute, tears still in her eyes. Then she nodded and smiled. "Yes Tony, I love you."

He grinned and kissed her briefly. Then her head was against his chest and his face was buried in her hair. He held her and they swayed back and forth in front of that window. And Tony realized something else. Iron Man was the superhero, Tony Stark billionaire playboy was his secret identity, but only Pepper knew his secret secret identity and that's exactly how he wanted to keep it.

Okay folks, well, that's my first try at the Pepperony 100 and the next one will be up real soon! Please review! You know you want to!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Iron Man…unless you count a name plaque (thanks scifi girl 08), the soundtr

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Iron Man…unless you count a name plaque (thanks scifi girl 08), the soundtrack, novel adaptation of the movie and The Futurist (have you people listened to Robert Downey Jr sing? It's awesome!!) But the story line and all that are so not mine. Oh well.

A/N: Okay, wow, I feel loved right about now. 107 people have hit this so far and I've gotten 5 reviews. Thank you all to Jadak7ac (if you like Pepperony, might I suggest Woman vs. Machine by Jadak7ac, and no, they didn't ask me to promote it), tamasit1, sarafina89, giuselul, and scifi girl 08 (how's the Doctor doing my friend? I haven't heard!) Okay, getting on with it, I hope that the rest of you who are reading will review this time around, it would make me really happy and give me incentive to write faster. Just letting you know. Alright, here we go!

61. Weather

Pepper Potts used to hate the rain. It made the ground muddy which would make it nearly impossible to cut through grassy areas in heels and it always brought clouds with it, blocking out the sun. That's why she was living in Malibu for crying out loud! California equals sun, so a rainy day was like a broken promise from her real estate agent.

Her feelings changed one day however. Her boss, Tony Stark, was out on another one of his superhero "missions" while she was sitting at his mansion, sending e-mails and scheduling meetings, the same as always.

Eventually Pepper heard the sounds of heavy machinery and knew that Tony was back. She looked up form her laptop and saw that it was getting dark outside, big gray clouds coming in from the ocean. "Great," she muttered to herself.

"Ms. Potts?"

"Yes Jarvis?"

"Mr. Stark requires your assistance in the workshop."

"Is he stuck in the suit again?"

"No Ms. Potts, his need is of a more medical nature."

She swore under her breath and hurried down the stairs as fast as the heels would allow. She punched the access code into the keypad and entered Tony's sanctuary. He was on the examining table, grinning at her. "Hey Pepper!" he said happily, waving at her until he winced in pain and lay his arm back down at his side.

"Tony, what happened this time?" she asked, grabbing the first aid kit from his desk.

"Oh, you know, lots of terrorists, lots of _my_ weapons," he emphasized the "my" as she looked him over, "and they got in a few lucky shots before I got a chance to take them out."

"Yeah, I'd say those were some lucky shots. Are those burns?!" she exclaimed as she moved to check his back, making him sit up.

"Yes. They might have had one or two of my missiles, no big."

"Say that to your back," Pepper murmured, grabbing the ointment out of the first aid kit and rubbing it on the angry red marks. He hissed in pain and she had to smile in satisfaction. "Maybe that will teach you a lesson."

"Sure does. Next time I need to make sure I'm carrying bigger sticks than the other guys."

Pepper shook her head in disbelief as she started bandaging the burns. When she was done she looked him over and saw the bruises that were making their presence known on his chest and arms. "How many ice packs?" she asked, wiping off her hands on a towel as she headed for the freezer.

"I'm thinking three."

She grabbed three ice packs and wrapped them in towels. "Where?" Tony pointed to a point on both arms and one on his side and she used some wraps to secure them there.

"Thanks Pepper," he said, hopping down and heading for the computer.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked as he sat down with his back to her.

"I'm going to build a better suit."

She nodded silently to herself, knowing he wouldn't see. "Will that be all Mr. Stark?"

"That'll be all Ms. Potts."

She turned and headed back upstairs, not looking back. Instead of returning to her laptop she went straight out onto the balcony and stood at the railing looking out at the ocean. Pepper could see the rain coming closer to land as it pounded the ocean. She could see the waves getting bigger as the continued to beat the shore. It was like her emotional turmoil could be seen in the weather.

_You're gonna kill yourself Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it._

She laughed bitterly, remembering her words as tears started to fall. Oh, but she was part of it and she knew it. Every time she agreed to help him, she made herself a part of it. But if she didn't help him and he was forced to do everything on his own, he might die that much sooner. So Pepper did the only thing she could think of at that point…she cried.

And as the tears fell, the rain reached land and in a matter of seconds she was soaked to the bone, but she didn't care. Pepper Potts used to hate the rainy weather, but now she craved it, because the raindrops masked her tears.

A/N: Okay, now it's time to push the pretty button. Come on, you know you want to!! And I couldn't help using that line from the movie, or the bigger sticks line, or the whole "Will that be all Mr. Stark?" "That'll be all Ms. Potts." Those are just classics!!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man

A/N: Okay, thanks to scifi girl 08 and tamasit1 for reviewing the last chapter. This is the start of my fluffy section. And I think that it's a good topic to start with. Please read and review. Remember, flames are welcome.

37. Spicy

Tony Stark was working on the Iron Man suit, just as he had been for the past seven hours, since Pepper had dragged him out of bed that morning. Music was blaring in the background…at least until Jarvis turned it off. "You know I don't like it when you turn off my music. What gives Jarvis?"

"Ms. Potts has asked me to inform you that she is cooking dinner tonight and would like you to get cleaned up before it's ready."

Tony looked up in surprise and checked the clock. 4:30. He sighed and stood up, brushing his hands off on his pants. Then he jogged upstairs only to have the sound of Vanessa Carlton reach his ears. Not to mention the voice of a certain redheaded personal assistant.

Tony tiptoed over to the kitchen and peeked in. Pepper was standing at the stove, eyes closed, holding a wooden spoon like a microphone and singing like nothing else mattered. He couldn't help but snort out a laugh. She heard him and opened her eyes, lips freezing as soon as she saw her boss standing there.

"Nice singing Potts," he said grinning.

"Uh, Mr. Stark…I was just…"

"Making dinner while getting ready for your American Idol audition?" he asked, loving how flustered she was.

"Never American Idol Mr. Stark. I couldn't put up with Simon's criticism," she replied, turning around to stir something on the stove.

"I think you could handle it, it couldn't be as bad as working for me. What are you making?" he asked, walking up behind her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Pasta, with my own family recipe for sauce," she replied, reaching for the paprika.

"What are you doing Potts?!" he exclaimed as she added some of the spice into the red sauce in the pot.

"Adding a little flavor to this stuff."

"But you'll ruin it that way!"

"No, I won't," she replied firmly. Pepper stirred the contents of the pot as Tony set his hands on her hips. "Comfortable?" she asked dryly.

"You have no idea," he said and she could tell he was grinning from the tone of his voice.

Pepper got some of the sauce on the spoon and tasted it. She smiled, got a little more and turned around. "Come on, taste it."

Tony opened his mouth reluctantly and she put the spoon to his lips and he took a taste. It was great, all the ingredients had been fresh and the paprika gave it a bit of a kick, but it wasn't too strong. "Okay, I admit that that is pretty good."

"I told you so," she said, putting the spoon in the pot. "Now, this will be done soon enough, so you better go get cleaned up."

H was about to pout and come up with an excuse when he spotted a bit of sauce at the corner of her mouth. "You missed a bit of sauce Pepper."

"Oh, where?"

"Right here," and before he could talk himself out of it he leaned in and kissed her. He felt her tense for a moment and heard a tiny gasp. Then there was a soft moan and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She melted into his arms and when he pulled back she needed a minute to steady herself.

"Holy crap," she muttered, running her hand through her hair.

"Wow Potts, I didn't know you had it in you," he said, the biggest grin she had ever seen pasted on his lips. She fumbled for a response, but he just chuckled. "I'll go get cleaned up now." He turned around, heading for the door, but at the last second he turned to his assistant again. "You should cook more often Pepper. I need a little more spice in my life."

A/N: Okay, please review as soon as you can, or I might be sad and not give you more!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own Iron Man…Yeah, you know…

Disclaimer: Still don't own Iron Man…Yeah, you know…

A/N: Okay everyone. I have some bad news. I'm not going to be able to update until Friday at best after this because I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow. But that's why I wanted to give you this chapter now. And I will let you know that I should have a few chapters for you once I get back, I have three chapters done past this one and then I'm working on another one right now, and yes, I am taking the notebook with me. I have early mornings and late nights to write, so expect some fun! Thanks to scifi girl 08, tamasit1 and Jadak7ac for reviewing the last chapter. It really means a lot to me that you all are keeping up with this! I'm going to give you all cookies! But banana nut muffins in the case of scifi girl 08 (you know why!) Alright, enough rambling, on with the story!

46. Fear

Pepper was working late at the mansion yet again. She glanced at the clock on her laptop and saw that it was past one in the morning. She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. _It can't hurt to rest my eyes for a second_, she thought, setting the laptop on the coffee table. Then, leaning back on the couch she let her eyes close and drifted off to sleep.

It was the night that Tony had fought Obadiah and Pepper was kneeling next to her boss, grasping his hand. The arc reactor was flickering and times that the light was out were getting longer and longer.

"Tony! Tony please, don't do this!" she begged, running her hand down his cheek.

"Pepper…" he gasped. "Pepper…it's okay…"

"No, don't, not after those three months, please not now." Tony's head lolled to the side and his hand went cold in hers. "Tony! TONY!"

She woke up screaming on the couch. She looked around frantically and realized that she was still in the living area at Stark Mansion. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, Pepper realized that she had thrown a blanket to the floor when she woke up. Tony must have covered her when he came up. For some reason she felt the need to check in on him and stood, stretched and headed for the stairs, going up them as fast as she could. "You're just being silly," she muttered to herself.

"Pepper…no Pepper…" a desperate voice called.

She stopped in the doorway and took in the sight before her. Tony was in bed, tossing and turning, almost to the point of thrashing. In the moonlight streaming in through the windows Pepper saw a look of pure agony on his face. "Please Pepper…" he moaned and she walked over to the bed and was at his side before he finished his breath.

"Shh Tony," she whispered, sitting on the bed next to him and running her hand through his hair. "I'm here, you're just having a nightmare. Tony."

She touched his cheek and he flew up, gasping for breath, his eyes moving wildly about the room until they fell on her. "Pepper?" he asked shakily.

"It's me Tony," she said and held open her arms, which he willingly moved into and she hugged him close. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her for dear life. Pepper felt the silent sobs that wracked his body. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, but I'm guessing that you'll keep prodding 'til I tell you so…" he trailed off for a second and she waited. "It was the night we beat Stane but…we didn't and…I was to late to save you." His voice cracked a little at the end, but Pepper didn't mention it. They were both quiet for a few minutes when he asked, "But what are you doing up here? Please don't tell me I woke you up."

"No, I…woke myself up…I had a nightmare too…about that night…"

"What, I wasn't in time to save you?" he asked jokingly.

"No, I couldn't save you." There was silence and she knew he wanted her to elaborate. "I couldn't keep this working," she whispered, pulling back and resting her hand on the bright arc reactor.

"Come here," he said, pulling her towards the headboard. He lay back down and pulled her down with him. Pepper laid her head on his chest next to the reactor and Tony wrapped his arms around her, holding her there. "I won't let anything happen to you Pepper Potts, I promise."

"And I won't let anything happen to you either Tony Stark."

She lay there in his arms, a place that she used to be afraid of. The complications that would have risen from a close relationship with her boss… she still shuttered to think about it sometimes. But now, being here with him, all those fears seemed absolutely ridiculous.

Pepper felt his breathing even out as he fell asleep again and she found her own eyes drooping closed too. She sighed, letting her eyes close completely and snuggling up to him. His arm tightened around her instinctively and she smiled.

As she drifted off to sleep a thought popped into her head. At one point, fear had been the only thing keeping them apart and now it was the thing that was drawing them together. Maybe fear could be a good thing at times.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Iron Man is not mine…

Disclaimer: Iron Man is not mine…

A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for the wait, but I was on vacation and it was freaking awesome! So, yeah, I was trying to write while on vacation, but the ideas weren't really coming so I only finished one story and wrote another, so I'm not going to give you a chapter with all the stories I missed for the past four days just so that I don't give a huge wait in a few days. I had a lot of fun with this chapter, so I hope that you like it! Please read and review!!

06. Green

Tony Stark was tanning on the deck of his yacht, Black Sabbath playing in the background. He was grinning madly until he realized that he hadn't seen Pepper since he sent her to change into her bathing suit. He looked at the watch that was next to him and the grin fell away. That had been an hour ago. He frowned, got up and headed for the bedroom. "Pepper?" he called when he found it empty.

"In here," a voice called weakly from the bathroom. Tony hurried over and opened the door. He found his assistant kneeling on the floor, still completely clothed and looking like death itself.

"Holy crap Potts! I didn't know someone could look that green! What happened?" he asked, crouching down beside her.

"I was about…to get changed and got…sick all of a sudden," she said, wincing in pain as she spoke.

"Why didn't you come get me?" he asked, feeling her forehead and finding it clammy.

"Not strong enough."

"What about shouting?"

"I tried…but the music was too loud…and it hurt my throat."

"Let me get you some water, I'll be right back," he said, getting back up and jogging to the galley. He grabbed a bottle of water and a couple of pepto bismol. He headed back for the bathroom when he heard her retching. He tossed the bottle and pills on the bed and ran back into the bathroom. Pepper was in front of the toilet so Tony went over and held her hair out of the way, resting a hand on her back. They stayed that way for a few minutes when she leaned back and slumped against his legs. Tony crouched down and scooped her up in his arms slowly so as not to upset her stomach even more. "I didn't know you got seasick."

"I don't normally," she muttered.

"Well, I'll get you taken care of and then sail for home," he said, carrying her into the bedroom and laying her down on the bed. He grabbed the bottle and pills and opened the water. "Here," he said, handing her the pills which she popped into her mouth. Tony handed her the water and she swallowed just enough to get them down. "Okay, now lie back," he ordered, pulling up the covers.

"What if I get sick again?" she asked tiredly, lying back as he covered her.

"I'll get you a bucket. Now just relax and I'll be right back."

He smiled at her and she smiled back. Then he went and dug up a bucket. When he got back he was going to make a witty remark but then realized that she had already fallen asleep. He set the bucket on the floor next to the bed and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. Seeing that there wasn't much more he could do, Tony headed for the cabin and turned the boat around, going as fast as the boat was capable. He wanted to be home by the time she woke up. He called Happy and told him to meet the boat at the dock at about five; they should just be getting in then. After that he sailed straight for Malibu.

When they got back to port, Tony carried a still sleeping Pepper to the car and Happy drove them back up to the mansion. He offered to help get Pepper into the house but Tony said he had things covered and let Happy head home for the day. Tony then carried Pepper inside and upstairs, laying her down in his bedroom and covering her up.

"Jarvis, shades please," Tony whispered and the room darkened as the sunlight was blocked. "Let me know when she wakes up and keep me updated on her vitals, okay?"

"Yes sir," was the clipped British reply.

Tony felt her forehead and was relieved that it wasn't clammy anymore. As he'd carried her he'd also noticed that her color had almost returned to normal. He got her another bottle of water and set it on the nightstand for her for when she woke up. Tony gave her another quick kiss before turning to leave. As he did he grinned to himself. Pepper was still a mystery to him in many ways, but today he had learned something new. Green definitely wasn't her color.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Iron Man, yeah, don't own it and never will…

A/N: Hey everyone! Yeah, sorry that I haven't updated in a few days, it's just that school's starting soon and I have summer homework that I have to finish and we're switching computers around and the computer, my new one!, that has all the chapters I've already typed up, isn't hooked up in my room yet! So, I just wanted to say sorry. To make up for it, I will give you two chapters today, is that better? Do you still love me? I want to give a shout out to my girl scifi girl 08, she's going off to start a new chapter of her life and I wish her the best of luck, so scifi girl 08, these two are for you! Good luck, gonna miss you!

77. Found

Pepper Potts didn't know what she was doing anymore. It had been three months since her boss, Tony Stark, had disappeared while coming back from a weapon's demonstration in Afghanistan. Three months and she was completely numb at this point.

She was at the Stark Mansion, where she had been for the past however many weeks. But it was this morning that she dared to go where she had not yet been since his disappearance…the workshop. Pepper stood at the top of the stairs, gazing down, almost daring to hope that he would just come strolling up, the normal playboy grin pasted on his face. She knew he wouldn't and she was afraid that if she went down there and found it empty and looking exactly as it had the day he left that she would be giving up on him, admitting to herself that he really was…

"Don't you dare think that Pepper," she muttered angrily to herself. "He's coming back and he'll laugh at you for worrying so much." There was a catch in her voice and she had to fight back tears. She hadn't cried in all of this time, and she wasn't going to start now.

"Are you alright Ms. Potts?" Jarvis asked and she took a deep breath.

"As alright as I have been through this nightmare Jarvis," she replied, descending the stairs very slowly. "Could you hold all calls unless they're from Colonel Rhodes please?"

"Of course Ms. Potts."

She was at the door now and now that she oculd see it, she didn't know if she could go in. "You can do this, it'll be alright," she said. With that Pepper punched the code into the keypad and stepped inside. The first thing that she noticed was that it still smelled like him, like engine grease and a faint hint of cologne. Three months and it still smelled like him.

Pepper walked over to the hot rod where the stool was just where he had left it. She sat down on it and rested her hand on the car. "Tony, where are you?" she whispered.

"Ms. Potts, there is a call for you," the British computer program said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Is it Rhodey?"

"Not exactly."

"Jarvis, I said hold all calls unless it was from Colonel Rhodes."

"I know Ms. Potts, but I think that you'll want to take this call."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Fine, put them through." There was a click and then she heard a rushing sound on the other end of the line. "Hello?" she asked. "This is Pepper…"

"Pepper?!" a voice called on the other end of the line. Her mouth dropped open as she recognized the voice she had heard only in dreams for the past three months. "What the heck are you doing in my workshop?"

"Tony?" she breathed.

"Oh man, Rhodey's motioning that he wants to talk to you. I'll see you in a few days, alright? Bye Pep!"

There was silence for a second, well, except for the rushing and then there was Rhodey. "Pepper, are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm guessing you found him," she choked out, forcing the words past the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, we're taking him to Ramstein now and we'll be back at Edwards on Monday. He's fine Pepper, we found him."

"Thanks Rhodey, I'll see you on Monday." The line clicked off and Pepper sagged in relief. He was coming home.

Pepper ran upstarirs and grabbed her Blackberry, punching in Happy's number. She was invigorated and had strength that had been absent since Tony disappeared. Now that he was safe and she knew it, Pepper realized that she found her strength in Tony and if he was okay, there wasn't a thing she couldn't do.

A/N: Okay, just feel like saying that while I was typing it up, I was watching various Sailor Moon videos on youtube. Yeah, I like Sailor Moon, haven't been hard core in a few years, but it's still cool to see what I used to be obsessed with. Give me a shout out if you used to watch it, or if you have no idea what the heck I'm talking about! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: You know I don't own it, why must you mock me by making me repeat it?!

A/N: Yeah, throwing this in for the heck of it, still watching Sailor Moon videos! Anybody see the last season that was never dubbed for english? I've only seen a few scenes, but it's freaking depressing! Oh, and this is a shout out again to scifi girl 08 and to any of you who might watch Eureka and be a Nathan Stark fan. This is for all of you! Yeah! This one was a ton of fun to write.

41. Fire

It was three in the morning and as usual Tony Stark was wide awake, working on the hot rod in his workshop. AC/DC was blaring and the television was randomly turned on to some news channel.

"Jarvis, give me a side view of the engine would ya?" Tony said, looking at the computer screen. The desired view came up and he continued working. He didn't notice as the volume on the T.V. went up gradually, but he sure as heck noticed when his music was turned off. "Okay, you know I get ticked when you turn off my music."

"Sir, you should see what's on the news," was the flat reply.

Tony sighed and turned to look at the seventy-two inch plasma screen. A house was burning, engulfed in flames. But that is not what caught his attention. No, what caught his attention was the headline at the bottom of the screen, "Breaking News: Home of Pepper Potts, PA to Tony Stark, Bursts Into Flames". He watched for a second, but as soon as he heard that they believed she was still inside he was jumping up and running over to his suit-up platform, swearing the whole time.

"Jarvis! As soon as this suit is on, I want you dialing her cell phone number and you better not stop until you get her, got it?" he shouted as the suit was put on.

"Understood sir."

In less than a minute the suit was on and Tony Stark had become Iron Man. He took off up the car ramp and flew into the early morning sky. He heard the ringing as Jarvis tried to connect with the cell phone. "Come on Pepper, come on," he muttered to himself as he flew towards the house. He could see the glow the house was giving off when there was finally a click on the other end of the phone. "Pepper!" he shouted.

"Tony?" she asked, followed by a coughing fit. He could hear a roaring in the background. "Tony…I'm trapped…"

"I'm on my way Pepper! Where are you?"

"I'm trapped in my…bedroom…The door's blocked…" There was more coughing. Tony was bearing down on the house.

"First floor?"

"No…second…the stairs are…gone…Tony…there's so much…smoke and I can't…breathe…"

"Hold on Pepper, I'm almost there!" he shouted, but all he heard was more coughing.

He made it to the house and flew right through one of the windows on the second floor. He looked around that room and when he didn't see her he headed out into the hall. He passed a bathroom and a closet and found nothing in either. There was one more room at the end of the hall, but part of the ceiling had fallen in and blocked the door. He raised his hand and fired his repulsor ray at the door, blasting away the debris and then he marched inside. He looked around and saw Pepper slumped on the floor in the corner.

"Pepper!" he shouted, rushing over, but there wasn't a response. He crouched down and picked her up. Then he lifted off the ground, blew out the window with is repulsors and took off into the darkened sky. He went as fast as he could and flew for the masnion. He made it there in record time.

As soon as they were inside he lay her down on the couch and took off his helmet and gauntlets. He laid his head against her chest and felt the shallow rise and fall that told him she was barely breathing. "Come on Pepper, don't do this," he said, taking a deep breath and pressing his lips against hers. He blew air into her lungs and when he pulled away she coughed weakly before her eyes fluttered open. "Hey there," Tony said and he couldn't help but grin in relief.

"Where are we?" she asked weakly, looking around.

"I brought you back to the mansion, I didn't think you would want to deal with the media. Now, let me get out of this suit and we'll get you settled into a guest bedroom. I have a feeling you're going to be staying here for a while."

She nodded and he went to shed the rest of the suit and came back over in his torn jeans and black t-shirt. Tony picked her up and Pepper let her head rest against his chest. "So, tell me something Pepper."

"What?"

"Does your house really have to burn down to get you to live here with me? Or would something else have convinced you to do so?"

"No Mr. Stark, this wasn't the only way, but at least now you don't have an excuse to fire me."

A/N: I loved that part in the movie when they're dancing and Tony's like "I could fire you, take the edge off." I just wanted to have something inspired by that one line in one of my chapters. Hope you liked this one. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own Iron Man, never will…I'm sad now, I think I might go drown my sorrows about not owning Iron Man by being sad about not owning Doctor Who…Nah!

A/N: Hello everyone! And a good day to you all! I wanted to get at least one more chapter out to you all before one, my supply of prewritten chapters runs out and I actually have to start thinking again and two, before Tuesday, which is a dreaded day for me…the start of a new school year. This means that I might not be able to update this as often as any of us would like, but I do want to let you know there is a silver lining. I'm working on another Iron Man fic, don't know when I'll start posting, but it's a crossover parody with the Princess Bride, so if you like that too, keep your eyes open. Alright, let's get started shall we?

12. Dusk

The sun was just dipping below the horizon as Tony walked along the beach thinking. And while he was trying to think about where terrorists were keeping his weapons, trying to come up with improvements for the suit, his mind kept going back to one thing, one person, one certain redheaded assistant. "Pepper," he muttered, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Yes?" a quiet voice asked from behind him, making him jump. He spun around and there was the woman who would not leave his thoughts.

"Geez Potts! Way to scare the crap out of me!" he exclaimed, throwing his hand over the arc reactor in a melodramatic way.

"Sorry sir."

"No, no, it's fine. But what the heck are you doing down here?"

"Well, I was out on the balcony watching the sunset and I saw someone down here. I asked Jarvis if he knew who it was and he said that it was actually you, so I thought that I would come down to join you. Was I interrupting something?"

"No, I was just thinking, or at least trying to."

"You have to try to think? That's not a good sign Tony," she said grinning.

"Ha ha, very funny Pepper. Actually something was distracting me."

"Really?"

"Yes, you."

She jerked in surprise and a hurt look crossed her face. "Well then, I'll just go back to work then."

Pepper turned to leave, but Tony lunged forward and grabbed her arm. "That's not what I mean Pepper. You can stay, it's just…" he trailed off and she turned around to face him. "I can't stop thinking about you. And I haven't been able to for a long time." When she just looked at him he sighed. "Come on, let's sit down."

Tony sat, stretching his legs out on the sand while Pepper neatly folded hers beneath her. "What's this about Tony?" she asked.

"I want to talk to you about something. That morning in Afghanistan…"

"Tony, really, we don't have to…"

"Yes, we do. No please, just listen for a few minutes. That morning when the bomb exploded, in the last few seconds I was conscious, all I thought about was you. And then, when they were 

torturing me and…holding my head under the water, I heard you call my name. And I knew then that I had to come up with some way to get out of there so that I could come back home to you."

They were quiet for a bit after that. They stared at the stars and listened to the waves washing up on the shore. After a little bit though, Tony felt a soft weight on his hand and then on his shoulder. He looked down and saw Pepper's head resting on his shoulder and her hand covering his.

"I was at the mansion every day while you were gone and sometimes I thought I heard you coming up the stairs. Every time I did my heart would break because I knew you weren't there. But I wouldn't cry, I refused to let myself cry until you were found."

"Why?" he asked in surprise.

"I knew you'd laugh at me."

At that he took his hand out from under hers, reached up under her chin and made her look him in the eyes. "I would never laugh if you cried because something hurt you."

The stare between them was intense, even in the increasing darkness. Then, before they knew what was happening, they leaned into each other and their lips met. Tony made sure to be gentle, Pepper wasn't one of those one night stands in the past and he wanted, no, needed, her to know that he didn't see her that way. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers.

"That was great," he said, laughing.

"Yes, it was," she whispered in response.

"You know, I actually think that night is now my favorite time of the day."

"No Tony, it's dusk," Pepper corrected, "and actually I think it's my favorite time of day now too."

A/N: Okay, I hate to say it, but I though the ending to this one was really awkward. I just couldn't come up with a good way to do it. Anyway, you know the drill. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Still don't own Iron Man…Man, I just want to go to Tony Stark's House of Ribs!!

A/N: Yeah, Tony Stark's House of Ribs is in the Ultimate Avengers Gag Reel which is on the Ultimate Avengers 2 DVD. I highly recommend those movies to you if you love Iron Man, which I think anyone reading this story does. Okay, so, yeah, after this chapter, I have to think again for more topics, but don't worry, my mom's been giving me ideas…funny ideas…MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Sorry if you think this chapter is like Green, but I did try to switch them up a bit! It's still worth the read! I promise!

88. Nurse

It was three in the morning and like most normal people, Virginia "Pepper" Potts was fast asleep at home. And then…her Blackberry rang. She jerked awake, but lay there with her eyes closed. _Please, just stop ringing_, she begged silently, but it rang again. She sighed and reached over to grab the phone from the nightstand, not even bothering to open her eyes. _It's probably just a wrong number_. Even so she pressed the answer button. "Hello?" she asked tiredly.

"Ms. Potts?"

Pepper sat up, blinking the sleep away in an instant. "Jarvis? What is it, what's wrong?"

"Mr. Stark is indisposed and asked me to call you and ask you to come over and assist him."

"Is it Iron Man? Did he get hurt on a mission?" she asked, throwing back the blankets, getting out of bed and grabbing some clothes. She put the phone on speaker, tossed it on the bed and started getting dressed.

"No, it was not a mission. He merely got sick very suddenly and wishes for you to come over."

"Alright Jarvis. I'm leaving now, so I should be there in fifteen minutes at most. Tell him just to hold on until then."

"Very well Ms. Potts."

There was a click on the other end as the computer hung up. Pepper grabbed the phone, turned it off, grabbed her keys and hurried downstairs, heading out to her Audi.

She drove as fast as she felt safe with and made it to the mansion in less than ten minutes. Jarvis opened the door for her and she walked in. "Where is he Jarvis?"

"He is in the master bathroom Ms. Potts."

Pepper hurried upstairs, all but ran through the bedroom and round her boss slumped against the wall next to the toilet. He was passed out and so she snuck in, grabbed a washcloth, wet it and brushed it against his face, clearing away some sweat. Tony stirred and opened his eyes to see her crouching there. "Potts?" he rasped.

"So, what happened? Bad Chinese food?" she asked, wiping the wet cloth across his forehead.

"No. I didn't even have dinner. I just woke up and felt like it was a good time to puke my guts out," he said dryly and she rolled her eyes.

"It's probably just a twenty-four hour bug. When did it start?"

"What time is it?"

"About a quarter after three."

"Probably about two hours ago…oh crap…" And with that Tony flew to a position over the toilet and emptied even more of the contents of his stomach into the bowl. Pepper laid her hand on his back and rubbed it in circles. When he was done she helped him back against the wall, mopped his forehead again and wiped his mouth. "Okay, this is officially worse than my worst hangover," he muttered.

"Just stay there and try to relax, I'll be right back," Pepper said gently, standing up and hurrying back through the bedroom, downstairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed a few bottles of water and a can of ginger ale, ran back upstairs and grabbed a blanket off his bed as she returned to the bathroom. "Sip this," she ordered, sitting down next to him, popping open the ginger ale and handing it to him. He took a sip and set the can down next to him, letting his head rest on Pepper's shoulder. "No, give me the can," she said, holding out her hand and he gave her the pop. "Now, lie down," Pepper said, patting her lap.

"Are you freaking serious?" Tony asked, raising his eyebrows weakly.

"Yes. You were actually asleep before this started, so obviously you need your rest and this is the best idea since you really should stay by the toilet."

Tony shrugged and laid down, his head finding its way into the redhead's lap. Pepper three the blanket over him and ran her hand through his hair, her other hand finding its way to the arc reactor and covering it protectively.

"Are you my nurse for today Ms. Potts?" Tony asked, his eyes already starting to close from sheer exhaustion.

"Of course Mr. Stark…But I will not be putting on that skimpy nurse's outfit that you bought for me."

"Aw man."

Pepper felt the rise and fall of his chest slow and even out as he fell asleep again. She leaned her head back against the wall and sighed, closing her eyes. "Jarvis, hold all calls and reschedule any and all appointments for today."

"Of course Ms. Potts."

Her eyes opened and she gazed down at the sleeping form of Tony Stark. He looked peaceful, almost like the kid he really was at heart.

And then she thought that this would probably become common practice whenever Tony took ill. Maybe it would be a good idea to add nurse to the job description.


End file.
